Ho-Ghana, Dec. 06, GNA – Mr Abdul-Razak B. Adama, Operations Manager, Maphlix Trust Ghana Limited, says one of the strategies farmers in the Horticulture sector could employ to be successful in their exports was meeting international standards.
He said it was important that their products met the specifications of their destination countries.
Mr Adama speaking during a workshop on Horticulture in Ho as part of activities for the sixth Volta Trade and Investment Fair, said the farmers must also understand the market preferences, trends and consumer demands to tailor their products.
He said they must also explore the export potential map which evaluated a country’s export performance, target market’s demand, market access conditions and bilateral linkages between the exporting and importing countries.
Mr Adama said the farmers must also seek expert services to guide them in market compliance, logistics, quality assurance and export regulations to ensure success.
He urged farmers to partner and network by collaborating with distributors, retailers, or importers to establish reliable supply chains and market presence.
Mr Adama encouraged the farmers to take advantage and utilise opportunities under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) and other government-backed schemes and funding opportunities aimed at assisting growers.
He noted logistics and infrastructure remained challenges to be addressed in the sector.
Mr Samuel Darbah, National Coordinator, Archipelago project, said it was time for agriculture to be seen as a business instead of a hobby.
He urged farmers to maximise their outputs beyond growing to feed families to exporting on large scales.
Mr Anthony Tamakloe, Executive Secretary, Green Label Ghana Foundation, said many sources of finance available to farmers in the sector included grants and investments, crowd funding, angel investors and microfinance and commercial banks.
He said they could still explore other sources such as the USAID-Ghana Trade and Investment or USAID-Africa Trade and Investment grants.
Mr Tamakloe urged them to keep adequate and proper financial records of their businesses and ensure regulatory and tax compliance irrespective of their business size.
Mr Barnabas K. Apom, Senior Project Manager, Horticulture Business Platform (HBP) and Project Lead, Ghana Netherlands Business & Culture Council (GNBCC), said opportunities under the HBP included business networking.
He said members also enjoyed access to industry insights and expertise as well as business development services while urging the farmers to join the platform.
Mr Fred Avornyo, Chief Operations Officer of the Volta Fair, said the workshop would enable the farmers under the sector to know the opportunities available and join various groups to be able to network.
The workshop is in conjunction with the Royal Netherlands Embassy in Ghana and the Horticulture Business Platform and on the theme: “Leveraging Horticulture to access the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA.).”
